Jon Beason puts Alex Smith in check for Cam Newton crack

Alex Smith bristled at a question about the 49ers’ poor passing yards stats last season, and responded to a reporter on Wednesday by saying passing yards are an overblown stat. His argument included a shot at Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year last season.

Newton’s teammate Jon Beason heard about Smith’s remark, and he put the Niners quarterback in check with this tweet on Thursday:

He’s absolutely right. If Alex Smith were on the level of Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, or even Cam Newton, then the Niners wouldn’t have been interested in Peyton Manning. But they were.

Smith is correct in his assessment that passing stats don’t tell the full story about a quarterback, but if he thinks pointing to his team’s win-loss record does, then he’s equally wrong.

Smith’s Niners were 13-3 because they had the best defense in the league, not because homeboy tore it up at QB. Likewise, Newton’s Panthers were 6-10 mostly because their defense stunk, not because Cam struggled. Stick Alex Smith on the Panthers last season and I bet they would have struggled to win three games. Stick Newton on the 49ers and they still would have won their division easily.